In early March 2015, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport opened two lactation centers specifically designed for mothers to express milk before boarding their flights. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

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In early March 2015, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport opened two lactation centers specifically designed for mothers to express milk before boarding their flights.(Photo: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport)

Frequent traveler Katy Mann is "not super comfortable nursing in public, no matter how covered up I am." So when it comes time to nurse her baby in an airport while traveling with her children, Mann says her only option is often sitting on a dirty bathroom floor in a family restroom.

It's no easier when she travels without her baby.

In airports, "I find it difficult to find a place to pump," Mann said. "So I sit on a toilet in a stall, fully clothed, trying to stay as clean and sanitary as possible and then I dump (the milk) in the toilet because those bathrooms could be pretty dirty."

Mann's airport experience is quite common.

In November 2014, a study to determine which U.S. airports offered the minimum requirements for a breast-pumping mother (a private space with a chair, table and electrical outlets – other than a bathroom) showed that while 62 out of the 100 airports reported being "breastfeeding-friendly," only eight of the airports surveyed provided private lactation rooms that met the minimum requirements.

Those airports were San Francisco International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport, Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio, Dane County Regional in Wisconsin and Florida's Pensacola International Airport.

"The fact that only six of the eight offer a room inside the secure area, 37% reported having designated lactation rooms, and 25% of those airports think a restroom is an appropriate place for a mother to either breastfeed her infant or express milk demonstrates the lack of understanding of the needs of the breast-pumping mother," the study concluded.

Airport administrations in many cities seem to have gotten the message. And, like spas and gourmet dining outlets, we may soon be able to declare specially created nursing spaces and lactation stations an official trend in airport amenities.

In September 2014, Chicago's Department of Aviation opened a Mother's Room on Concourse C at Midway International Airport. The creation of a similar space at O'Hare airport is under consideration.

With its October 2014 re-boot, Dallas Love Field added a room for nursing moms across the hall from a play area for kids.

"We realized early on that a proper facility was needed – a clean, quiet place for nursing," said Mark Duebner, director of aviation for the city of Dallas. "Since opening we have had great feedback and are proud to provide one more amenity to our customers."

In December 2014, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport added pre-security nursing stations in each terminal, at a cost of $8,000 to $12,000 per each converted or retrofitted space. Each room contains a sink and countertop, a soap dispenser, a paper towel dispenser, a baby changing station, comfortable seating and an electrical outlet.

And while it set aside a room for nursing mothers several years ago (before there was even an official pictogram to mark the space), in early March 2015 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport opened two lactation centers in Terminal 1-Lindbergh specifically designed for mothers to express milk before boarding their flights. (One room is on Concourse F near Gate F2, the other is on Concourse C across from Gate C13. A third room will open in Terminal 1 at the entrance of Concourse E later this year.)

The new lactation rooms have a deep sink for cleaning equipment, easily accessible electrical outlets, soft lighting, artwork, a baby changing table and comfortable seating. There are also some thoughtful extras, such as a USB charging station, hooks for hanging garments and bags and a full-length mirror "so when you're putting yourself back together everything is back to where you want it to be," airport spokeswoman Melissa Scovronski said.

While some airports are carving out space for lactation rooms, others are bringing in freestanding, movable lactation stations.

In August 2013, Vermont's Burlington International Airport (BTV) installed a prototype of pod-like lactation unit made by local company Mamava. The unit has bench seats, a power outlet and a fold-down table for use with a breast pump, soft lighting, a mirror and space for luggage and/or a stroller.

The lactation pod is free to use and has been a big hit with BTV passengers, airport spokeswoman Erin Knapp said, and "a great option for privacy for traveling families."

Just in time for spring break travel, last week Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport announced the purchase and installation of three Mamava lactation suites. One is located before security and two are beyond the security checkpoints, on Concourses C and D.

The suites are a good addition to the many family friendly amenities at the airport, MKE spokeswoman Patricia Rowe said, and "we know sometimes the family-friendliness of an airport can be a deciding factor in which airport a family will choose for its travel."

Looking forward, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey has plans to roll out Mamava lactation pods in the NYC-area airports, "in the next coming weeks," starting with Terminal B at Liberty Newark International Airport and LaGuardia's Central Terminal Building. Mamava CEO Sascha Mayer said she's also been talking with airports in Atlanta and Houston and lactation pods could be showing up at those airports by the end of the year.

"Traveling moms who are breastfeeding need a place that's private and comfortable," said Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, family vacations expert at About.com. "Lactation spaces and nursing rooms solve this problem. There are long-overdue airport amenities that I'm happy to see catching on."